Hello from Spencer, Wisconsin.
Steve and I flew here last Wednesday and will head back home today. It’s been a wonderful break in the routine and so nice to see family members and take long country drives. (This will be the first of one or two more Wisconsin Posts.)
We stayed with Randy and Debbie and were royally entertained as always. No visit is complete without the Famous Debbie Pancades.
On Saturday, we went to Ruth and Arnold’s for a family reunion and, as always, had a rip-roarin’ time.
We shared a good meal and then went on our third annual hayless hayride. My brother, Phil, and his family had never been on one so it was extra fun to have them there. (Most of the following pictures are mine with a few added in from my brother, Tim.)
Their grandson, Evan, heard me screeching a bit when going around corners and so he designated himself as my protector. He informed me quite seriously that he was going to hold on to my chair so I wouldn’t fall. Little boys are so dear.
I always love to see dogs having a grand, o’l time.
They weren’t the only ones enjoying themselves!
Since the last time our family was together, my sister, Ruth, has lost forty pounds and Arnold has lost eighty by doing intermittent fasting. Both of them feel so much better and have so much more energy. I’m proud of them for their hard work.
After the ride, we carried the chairs back to the house in a highly disorganized processional.
My brother, Tim, had brought some exploding targets to be detonated with a rifle so we all gathered for a marksmanship display as he and Levi (Ruth and Arnold’s son) fired a gun off the back deck into a field. The guys put some white plastic containers on top of the targets so they were blown sky-high whenever they hit the targets.
We were all given earplugs but unfortunately, Steve’s seemed to be a bit defective. For some strange reason, putting them in his nostrils didn’t help block the sound at all. He finally decided he’d better add some to his ears, as well. He is such a kidder.
One thing that made this event extra special was that Tim and Berit’s son, Andrew, brought along a young lady he is quite serious about. (I got their permission to write about them.)
It’s always a little intimidating to meet someone’s family for the first time but Emily fit right in and was loved by everyone from the start.
She and Andrew met at a wedding where he was a groomsman and she was a bridesmaid. The bride and groom did a little matchmaking and made sure to pair them up to walk down the aisle together. The matchmaking paid off!
Over lunch, I asked them each what first attracted them to the other one–apart from appearance. Andrew said that when he first met Emily at the engagement party, he noticed she laughed easily and lit up every room she was in. He was also attracted to her strong faith.
Emily said Andrew was asked to pray during the wedding rehearsal and she was impressed with the fact that he was comfortable praying out loud. She also liked the fact that family is very important to him. (As it is to her–she is a pastor’s daughter with five siblings.)
I love hearing the stories of new couples and finding out what it is behind their connection. Andrew and Emily are such a sweet pair and so well-suited to each other.
At one point in the afternoon, Steve lay down for a snooze on the couch. The family dog, Pepper, decided that it looked like a good idea and she lay down, too. I love the picture they made together.
We ended the day with a few family photos. Here are the cousins–my nieces and nephews and great niece and nephews. I love how Evan is exactly the same in both photos; everyone else is laughing and he is diligently preparing himself for the photo. Such a focused young man!
The siblings and spouses. We are missing Mark, the middle brother, and Ron, our adopted brother.
From left to right: Tim and Berit, Steve and me, Randy and Debbie, Ruth and Arnold, Phil and Carol. (Tim is the oldest of the brothers, then came the three sisters of which I am the oldest.)
I’ve been coming to this piece of land in rural Wisconsin for over four decades. (The house is different because Ruth and Arnold’s first house burned down.) But the land remains the same even while the gathering of the generations changes.
This was our first time to be back together since Mom’s funeral last June. Throughout the day, I was thinking of a country ride I took her on and how, when we pulled up to Ruth and Arnold’s house at the end of it, she looked at me and said, “This was our last ride together.”
And so while her memory remains, she and her generation are gone. And on a sober note, Steve’s and my generation is the next one in line to go.
But in the meantime? New memories are made, new laughter is heard, new love is sparked, and new grandchildren are born. And most importantly, the heritage of praying together remains.
The wacky family gatherings will continue in the years after we are gone. In fact, I can already hear those family members asking each other, “Do you remember that day way back in 2023 when Uncle Steve put his earplugs in his nose?”
And the laughter will ring out from the generation that is young in these pictures but will be old in the pictures to come. They will all be the ones who will keep the memories, stories, and love alive for all the generations to come.
What about you?
What is a favorite tradition you have at family reunions?
What was it that attracted you to your spouse or significant other?
Do you remember any “lasts” that you experienced with a loved one in their final days?
How wonderful that you are able to get together and enjoy eachothers company. Time goes so quickly and thus getting together is sometimes a miracle in itself. I no longer have any aunts and uncles but many cousins, which are far away. So thrilling to hear how Andrew and Emily met, but most of all their faith in the Lord and Anrew praying out loud. That blessed my heart. Met my husband at our place of work, Billy Graham Assn. Had seen him once and looked at his punch card and said, “Yep that’s the guy I’m going to marry.” It will be 57 years in Dec. Again, so glad you were able to be with family because time marches on.
Sharyn,
I love to hear stories when someone almost imediately knows they are going to marry a certain person. I’ve never heard of someone making the decision while looking at a punch card; I’m assuming you were looking for his name? That made me smile.
Oh nooooo!!!!! What a hairy, crazy mess!! So sorry that happened to Steve!! I did privately giggle at the thought of the whole situation though. Sometimes you just have to in order to not lose your mind when all the craziness happens. 😉
Many years ago, the ink wasn’t e dry on the check to the carpet installer when my daughter dropped a whole bowl of spaghetti O’s on the new carpet. Momma was NOT happy. That stuff is so ORANGE!! But it all came out and all was well. She felt terrible! Poor girl.
When she was just 8 months old, a guy pulled right out in front of us. We were on a highway doing 60 mph. We totalled our truck but everyone lived, thanks to the quick thinking and great driving by my husband. It’s the most frightening thing I’ve ever been through. I’m so glad that YOU are ok!!
LeeAnne,
Yes, giggling was definitely called for in the midst of that particular mess. And your daughter’s spaghetti O’s mess was probably also funny AFTER the fact. 🙂
Thank the Lord for your husband’s great driving and no serious injuries. I can’t imagine an impact at 60 m.p.h!
How wonderful to have such a well attended family reunion! I loved the picture of Steve and Pepper – so sweet. We don’t really have “big” family reunions anymore but we do try to get my husband’s whole family together 2-3 times a year (and that’s grown bigger by the years even after his parents passed away). It’s so sweet to see their legacy but we can tell that big gatherings will stop once my husband and the siblings are gone. We just hope the “cousins” stay in touch somehow and maybe get all of their children to at least know the family history. I’m an only child of parents who moved very far away from their families so …
What a blessing families are!
I met my husband in high school chemistry – we just clicked. I actually broke up with the guy I was dating so that I could invite him to church 🙂 He said yes! The rest is history!
The lasts with my dad are still hard memories. I hope that some precious “lasts” will take over in my mind eventually.
Suzanne,
Glad to know your husband’s family gets together. Two or three times a year is great; wish we could do that often but Wisconsin is a long way away!
Chemistry class is sure an interesting place to meet your future husband. Chemistry and church–what a start!
From the few things you said about your dad/parents, it does sound like there have been some difficult times. Hoping along with you that the precious moments and memories will begin to surface and make their presence known. Hugs.
My great aunt, who was like a psuedo-grandmother, died this past weekend. I last saw her in May, and on that visit I brought along a photo book I’d made of a recent trip my mom and I had taken to England. She and my great uncle (who just celebrate their 70th anniversary in August) loved to travel and certainly inspired me to, as well. She was already declining cognitively, and every few minutes as she paged through the book she’d repeat “I’m so glad you two were able to take this trip!” We also brought along a small potted plant from the local florist, and it survived for several months! Even up until later in the summer her daughter would let us know the plant was still alive and how much joy its beauty was bringing to my great aunt.
Linnae,
I’m so sorry to hear about your great aunt’s passing! So glad you were able to share the photo book of the England trip with her since she was one of the reasons you love to travel.
Seventy years of marriage! How fabulous that she lived long enough to celebrate that incredible day.
I was attracted to Jim because he made me laugh. He also was respectful. He is so thoughtful. Even after nearly sixteen years of marriage, he still is so thoughtful. Each week when we shop, he puts a Kit-Kat or two in the shopping cart. (I love the pick-me-up.)
Rachel,
Laughter. Respect. Thoughtfulness. Kit-Kat bars. Jim is definitely a keeper!
I vividly remember my last Christmas with my Mama (I was 9) because we picked her up from the hospital on Christmas Eve night to bring her home. I didn’t realize it until I was grown, but she was released from the hospital because they (medical team) knew that would be her final Christmas. We have a photo of my husband with his Daddy taken this summer the last time his Daddy was able to be outside (My husband and his brother had to carry him out to the patio when they visited) and it is a treasured picture in our family.
Sue Ellen,
How wonderful that the medical team recognized the importance to the family of your Mama being home for Christmas.
I think the elderly and very ill appreciate being outside more than most other people; they take that fresh air into their lungs knowing their breaths are limited. So glad you have that picture and that memory.
I’ve never been married but my parents have been married 74 years. They lived down the road from each other and my dad’s sister and my mom were the same age. When my dad came back from World War II, there were times that my dad’s family would go somewhere and my mom would go with them. He was known to ask why she had to tag along. Obviously his tune changed at some point.
My parents have been in a nursing home a little over two years. I’d like to be able to remember the last time I could actually have a conversation with my mom. It’s probably been close to a year. Besides her being terribly hard of hearing and not wearing her hearing aids and sleeping a good part of the day, she has trouble coming up with words she wants to say when she does try to talk to me.
Phyllis,
Well, I guess your mom has been “tagging along” for a few decades now. I love that he asked that question and then eventually “changed his tune.”
Seventy-four years of marriage! What an example to us all.
I was hoping for non-hay, hayride photos, and you did not disappoint! What a wonderful visit; food for the soul.
Greta,
Well it just so happens I had some photos to share! Glad you enjoyed seeing the hayless-ness of our ride. 🙂
How wonderful that you all got together. It is strange to realize that all the elders of the previous generation are gone, and our generation is up next. I’m the oldest, so I feel that quite strongly these days. My gaze shifts to the younger generation behind us, and what memories they will have of us.
The photo of everybody lugging the chairs is pretty funny.
I remember, speaking of lasts, when my mother was really thin, sick, refusing to go to the doctor, and I knew she was dying. We were leaving a store, and there was a young mother standing next to the door with her newborn in her arms. Newborn babies were my mother’s most favorite thing and I knew she was going to walk over to that mom and would want to touch its cheek. I said a silent prayer in that moment for that new, protective mom to allow a stranger to connect with her vulnerable newborn baby. I knew that this would be the last time my mother would see what she loved so much, before she died, and I knew that this baby had just come from where my mother was shortly going. I held my breath as my mom quietly walked over to speak to the new mother, and by the grace of God, the new mother was welcoming and allowed my mother to stroke the child’s cheek. That mom will never know how important that moment was for my mother, but I knew. I have never been so grateful. Mom passed shortly therafter. I feel like that connection helped prepare my mother for her transition.
Thanks for reminding me of that powerful moment.
Lesley,
What a wonderful story and God bless that young mother for allowing an elderly mother to get one more glimpse and touch of a small human so fresh from eternity. I’m so thankful you have that memory.
The lasts are so bitter sweet, and try as I might to let them just be moments like any other, I find myself fixating a bit on them. When my grandmother was dying of cancer, I would come once a month for a visit and to take care of her and give my parents could have a break. My last visit with her was the weekend that held both my 24th birthday and Mothers Day. She sang happy birthday to me while I got her into the bathroom and helped her brush her teeth. She told us her bizarre medication-induced dreams while we ate birthday cake. And I gave her a mothers day card that tried to capture 24 years of love in one little page. Every moment felt sacred, and when I tucked her into bed for the last time, she kissed me all over my face and looked in my eyes and told me she loved me. We make so much of the end, but my dad reminds me that the end is just the last page in the book. It’s all the pages that came before that really tell the story.
Robin,
I love your dad’s quote; it is so helpful in putting thing in perspective when we look back over the “lasts” we have shared with a loved one.
Sounds like your grandmother was such a loving, dear person; how wonderful that the last words you heard from her were “I love you.” Best words ever.
Thank you for sharing your memory.
How lovely that you have a large, loving, welcoming family! So glad you got to spend some time with them. 🙂 Our family has never had a reunion, unless you count Christmas gatherings back in the early 1990s. I think Christmas of 1990 was the last time my whole family (paternal grandparents, my dad & his brothers, and all seven of us grandkids – plus our spouses and kids) got together. Even funerals haven’t pulled us all back together. 🙁 Now, my family is my husband, my daughter, and my son-in-law. We’re tiny but mighty, and we love each other fiercely.
How sad that Ruth and Arnold’s house burnt down. 🙁 My great-grandparents’ house burnt down years after they had died, and it’s still sad to me.
The only “lasts” I can think of, are: my last communication with both of my parents was a text message from them. My mom’s text was: “going to the church to work in the office today” and my dad’s last text was “partly cloudy” (because after my mom died, I insisted he text me every morning when he got up – he always just sent a weather report. 😉 ).
Stefanie,
Tiny. Mighty. Fierce. Love. All great words to describe your little tribe. You are blessed!
How funny that your dad sent you a weather report every day. I love that. And it’s great that your mom’s last words were that she was going off somewhere to be hepful and make a difference. Precious texts!
The photo of Steve and Pepper wins the prize!
Fred and Lucy,
I know. Isn’t that a wonderful scene?
I hope you enjoyed your time in Wisconsin. I live in Spencer too so I was surprised when you said hello from Spencer Wisconsin.
Ann,
How fun that you live there. It’s such a dear small town.
I bet you WERE surprised at reading those words! 🙂